The Ring
:This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the artifact of the same name. ---- |Season = 6 |Antagonist = Grindl, Odin |Setting = Norseland |In-Universe Date = Year 31 |Production # = V1409 |Filming Dates = July 2000 |Original Air-Date = |Written By = Joel Metzger |Story By = |Teleplay By = |Directed By = Rick Jacobson |Order in Series = 120 of 134 |Order in Season = 8 of 22 |Order in Franchise= 289 of 304 |Prev Episode in Series = "The Rheingold" |Next Episode in Series = "Return of the Valkyrie" |Prev Episode in Franchise = "The Rheingold" |Next Episode in Franchise = "Return of the Valkyrie" |title cap image = }} Gabrielle and Brunhilda finally catch up with Xena and Beowulf and continue to fight Grindl, the monster that was forged by The Ring 35 years ago. Later, Brunhilda kidnaps Gabrielle and confesses her love for her. Xena and Beowulf, meanwhile, battle an array of villains who seek to take possession of the ring. Summary In part two of "The Ring" trilogy, Gabrielle, Beowulf and Brunnhilda follow the tracks of Grindl through the woods. Beowulf and Brunhilda are not convinced that Xena could of survived the attack, but Gabrielle insists the three keep looking. Beowulf moves ahead and finds blood on a tree, and they find its Xena's blood and its where it ends. Gabrielle sees one of Xena's gauntlets on the ground. She picks it up, and continues to move off looking splitting up from Beowulf and Brunhilda. Gabrielle walks through the woods. There's the sound of rustling, just then Xena jumps out from behind a tree, grabs Gabrielle's hand and points to where Grindl is not far away from them. When Beowulf calls out Gabrielle's name, Grindl reacts to it and walks away. Gabrielle hugs Xena and the two share an emotional reunion. Gabrielle pulls back and looks at Xena. Xena's face is bloody and bruised all over, which Gabrielle decides to take care of, when Beowulf and Brunnhilda reunite with Xena and Gabrielle. After making an escape from Grindl, the band of four set out for Grindl's den to take on Grindl once and for all. Xena explains to the others that when Xena finished making the Rheingold Ring, it had two stipulations. The first is that the only way to wear it without any side effect is to have forsaken love and the second was that if someone with love in the hearts wears the ring, it will give its power to the wearer for a short time before taking away that which the wearer holds most dear in life. and Xena fight over the ring, 35 years ago.]] Thirty five years ago, in order to bring honor back to the Valkyrie, and prevent Xena from causing more mayhem, Grinhilda captured the ring and put it on in an attempt to defeat Xena but soon the ring took what was most important to Grinhilda: her humanity and her beauty. This turned Grinhilda into a monster. When the band of four get to Grindl's den, an epic battle ensues but when Xena kills Grindl she notices that the monster has all its fingers--something that leads her to believe it's not Grinhilda as Xena had taken one of her fingers in battle thirty five years ago. Before the group has a chance to find Grinhilda, it is discovered that Brunnhilda is working for Odin and supposed to give Gabrielle over to him in order to help turn the tides of the battle. Moved by Gabrielle's beautiful spirit, however, Brunnhilda steals one of the Valkyries' flying horses and takes Gabrielle to safety. and the Valkyries.]] In a showdown with Odin and the Valkyries, Odin shares that Grinhilda was with child when the ring corrupted her, so the dead Grindl is Grinhilda's child. Then Xena gets to meet Grinhilda and Beowulf and Xena take on Odin, the Valkyries and Grinhilda. Beowulf is soon knocked unconscious and Xena is pinned down. In a last desperate attempt, she puts on the ring knowing that it would give her a small amount of time to turn the tides of the skirmish. While she succeeds in driving off all her attackers, she pays the ultimate price of losing what she holds most dear: her sense of self as well as her knowledge of Gabrielle. Brunhilda discovers that Xena has put the ring on and lost her memory. She recovers the ring and reports back to Gabrielle whom she is keeping hidden. Xena's ultimate victory may lie in the hands of Brunhilda, whose friendship with Gabrielle leeds her to profess her love of Gabrielle--love being something she never knew before other than love of battle. When Gabrielle explains that she cannot return that love and that she and Xena are different--are soul-mates--Brunnhilda says that if that is what must be, she will protect Gabrielle by becoming an eternal flame for her. In the final scene, she transforms herself into a ring of fire that protects Gabrielle who holds the ring in her hand, protected and waiting. . . . Disclaimer :Gabrielle's popularity surged during the making of this motion picture. Background Information Mythology *Originally, it was Brunhilda herself who was protected by the Flames of Brunhilda- she slept within them until she was awoken with a kiss by the hero Sigfried- the Ring of the Nibelungs became a symbol of their doomed love. Behind the Scenes *When Xena lost her memory and didn't recognize her Chakram, writer Joel Metzger added in the Chakram cutting her hand, to "strengthen" the idea of the her not knowing what it was. Key Events *This is the first time that Gabrielle uses the Chakram in a fight (although she didn't throw it). She later does so in "A Friend in Need Part II." Goofs *When Xena, Gabrielle and Beowulf are fighting the Valkyries, Brunhilda rides up to the battle to retrieve Gabrielle, during which a clear shot of Brunhilda's stunt-double riding a horse is seen. *Renée looses her footing when trying to talk Brunhilda out of fighting Xena, just before being ambushed a number of Valkyries. Trivia *'Chakram count': 2 #To break the support holding a section of the cave. #To distract Odin. *The final scene of this episode mirrors the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose (German: Dornröschen) by the brothers Grimm, which depicts the princess falling into a deep sleep, only able to be awaken by a kiss; much like Gabrielle. *It is unclear who the father of Grinhilda's child is; the highest possibility is Odin, as they seemed to have a relationship of a sort. However, Odin refers to Grindl as "your son" when talking to Grinhilda, meaning he did not believe him to be his child. *This is the first time that Gabrielle refers to Xena as her soulmate. *Odin Imples there are more people other then Xena with the power to kill gods. Cast Main Cast *Lucy Lawless as Xena *Renée O'Connor as Gabrielle Guest Stars *Renato Bartolomei as Beowulf *Brittney Powell as Brunhilda *Alexander Petersons as Odin *Glen Levy as Grindl *Luanne Gordon as Grinhilda *Marama Jackson as First Rhein Maiden *Lucy Thomas as Second Rhein Maiden *Stephanie Bertram as Third Rhein Maiden References People *Xena *Gabrielle *Brunhilda *Beowulf *Grinhilda Gods *Odin Places *Norselands *Valhalla Other *Grindl *Rheingold *Xena's Ring Season Navigation de:Der Ring, Teil 2 Category:Episodes not set in Greece Category:XWP Season 6 episodes